Hybrid work has become increasingly popular over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote and flexible work policies. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 810 million members, has also embraced hybrid work arrangements for its employees.
What is hybrid work?
Hybrid work refers to a work arrangement that combines on-site and remote work. Employees split their time between working in the office and working remotely, usually from home. There is no single hybrid work model, as companies can customize schedules based on their needs. Some popular hybrid work arrangements include:
- 3 days in office, 2 days remote
- 2 weeks in office, 2 weeks remote
- Mornings in office, afternoons remote
The goal of hybrid work is to give employees more flexibility while still providing the benefits of in-person collaboration. Hybrid policies aim to get the best of both remote and in-office work.
Why is LinkedIn adopting hybrid work?
In October 2020, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky announced plans to embrace hybrid work going forward. Roslansky cited employee feedback in favor of flexible work arrangements due to benefits like:
- Better work-life balance
- Avoiding commutes
- More flexibility
- Increased productivity
Roslansky stated that LinkedIn employees prefer flexibility but also want to come into the office periodically for collaboration. This feedback led LinkedIn to adopt a hybrid approach. As a tech company, LinkedIn is well positioned to make hybrid work successful through its digital infrastructure and remote work experience during the pandemic.
How does hybrid work look at LinkedIn?
LinkedIn began implementing hybrid work in October 2021 after over a year of fully remote work. The company adopted a “Flexible First” mindset with no set hybrid schedule. Instead, individual teams at LinkedIn decide what hybrid arrangement works best for them. Some examples of hybrid schedules at LinkedIn include:
- Engineering teams working remotely most Fridays
- Sales teams alternating weeks between office and remote
- Marketing teams in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays
Roslansky encourages managers at LinkedIn to communicate often with their teams and iterate their hybrid schedules when needed. LinkedIn also provides online resources and training to help managers lead successful hybrid teams.
How does LinkedIn support hybrid work?
LinkedIn has invested in several areas to make hybrid work successful:
Digital infrastructure
As a technology company, LinkedIn already had the tools needed to collaborate digitally, like:
- Microsoft Teams
- Office 365
- Project management tools
- Virtual whiteboards
LinkedIn has continued improving its virtual meeting capabilities for seamless hybrid collaboration.
Flexible spaces
LinkedIn has adapted its office spaces to be more flexible. There are now more open collaboration areas and meeting rooms of different sizes. Assigned desks have been removed in favor of open seating. These changes give employees more flexibility to choose their workspace when in the office based on their needs for the day.
Manager training
LinkedIn provides training and resources to help managers lead successful hybrid teams. Training covers topics like:
- Communication best practices
- Setting clear goals
- Building trust
- Using collaboration tools
- Avoiding hybrid worker burnout
Equipping managers to lead hybrid teams ensures a consistent employee experience.
Employee input
LinkedIn consistently seeks employee feedback on its hybrid work arrangements. The company uses surveys and focus groups to gather insights across different teams and demographics within the company. This input helps LinkedIn refine its flexible work policies to maximize employee satisfaction.
What are the benefits of hybrid work?
LinkedIn and other companies have experienced the following benefits with hybrid work:
Increased productivity
Studies show employees are often more productive working remotely with fewer distractions and interruptions. Hybrid schedules let employees maximize productivity during focused remote work time. One Stanford study found a 13% performance increase with remote work.
Better work-life balance
Working remotely even just a few days per week provides greater work-life balance. Employees have an easier time managing responsibilities like childcare and errands when they have flexibility.
Greater autonomy
Hybrid arrangements give employees more control over their schedules and location. This increased autonomy results in higher job satisfaction according to LinkedIn’s research.
Expanded talent pool
With remote or hybrid roles, companies can recruit top talent from across the globe. LinkedIn can leverage its huge member base to find the best candidates. Opening up roles also leads to greater diversity.
Reduced costs
Companies can save money with reduced office space needs and business travel with hybrid policies. Employees also save money by commuting less frequently.
Environmental benefits
Hybrid work results in fewer carbon emissions from commuting and less energy usage in office spaces. For example, LinkedIn estimated a reduction of 45,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions in 2020 from remote work.
Increased inclusivity
The flexibility of hybrid or remote work provides greater accessibility for workers like single parents, those with disabilities or chronic illnesses, and caregivers.
What are the challenges of hybrid work?
Despite its many benefits, hybrid work also comes with some potential drawbacks that companies like LinkedIn must address:
Communication difficulties
Collaborating across distributed teams can be difficult with hybrid work. Communication barriers and misalignments can occur when some employees are remote. LinkedIn provides communication training to prevent this issue.
Employee isolation
Fully remote workers may feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues and company culture. LinkedIn encourages in-person interaction through team events and office gatherings.
Technology issues
Relying on technology for remote collaboration presents challenges when tech fails. LinkedIn tech support must be equipped to rapidly address problems with video conferencing, connectivity, etc.
Cybersecurity risks
Remote work widens a company’s cyber risk. LinkedIn uses software like Microsoft Intune to secure employee devices used off-site.
Manager resistance
Some managers are used to traditional in-office work and resist hybrid arrangements. LinkedIn provides managers training on best practices to gain buy-in across the organization.
Productivity measurement struggles
Measuring individual and team productivity can be harder with hybrid teams. LinkedIn sets clear objectives and deliverables for its hybrid employees to ensure accountability.
Inconsistent employee experience
With different teams following unique hybrid schedules, LinkedIn must ensure consistency in employee support and resources.
Keys to successful hybrid work
Based on LinkedIn’s experience, here are some best practices for executing effective hybrid work:
Set clear guidelines
Define policies for topics like: ideal team schedules, meetings, expectations, technology use, and expenses. Document guidelines give employees clarity while allowing flexibility.
Overcommunicate
Increase communication across channels when teams are distributed. Provide frequent updates and face time to avoid misalignment.
Train managers
Arm managers with strategies for leading hybrid teams through change management training and resources.
Equip for technology reliance
Evaluate tools and tech infrastructure to ensure seamless video meetings, collaboration, and security across locations.
Monitor employee experience
Check in regularly via surveys to understand how employees are adapting to hybrid work and make improvements when needed.
Emphasize in-person connection
Bring hybrid teams together through events, office gatherings, and occasional off-sites to build culture and relationships.
Track productivity proactively
Define individual and team success measures and monitor them. Adjust if goals are misaligned.
Respect work-life balance
Set core collaboration hours and be flexible around personal needs. Demonstrate trust in employees.
Iterate schedules when needed
Revisit hybrid schedules quarterly or annually and adjust based on learnings and business needs.
Example hybrid schedule at LinkedIn
Here is an example of what a hybrid schedule might look like for a 10-person marketing team at LinkedIn:
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
---|---|---|---|---|
Team meeting at office | Remote work | Remote work | Content creation at office | Remote work |
Key details of this sample schedule:
- Monday team meeting for alignment and planning
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays fully remote for individual work
- Thursdays at office for cross-functional meetings and content creation sessions
- Fridays remote again for individual focus work
This is just one example – other teams may have off-site retreats, brainstorming workshops, guest speakers or other collaborative sessions. The core aspects are a mix of in-person and remote time tailored to the team’s needs.
How LinkedIn measures hybrid work success
LinkedIn measures the effectiveness of its hybrid model using metrics like:
Employee surveys
Regular pulse surveys measure employee sentiment on hybrid work. LinkedIn looks for continual improvement in satisfaction scores.
Productivity
LinkedIn tracks productivity for individuals, teams, and the overall organization based on goals set. Rising productivity indicates hybrid work is successful.
Attrition rates
LinkedIn monitors attrition, especially among top performers. Lower than average attrition signals employees are engaged with hybrid policies.
Innovation
LinkedIn measures innovation through new products, features, and patents. Increasing innovation shows hybrid work fosters creativity.
Client satisfaction
LinkedIn sends client surveys to measure satisfaction with products, services and communication. High satisfaction demonstrates hybrid work isn’t hindering client interactions.
Trends in hybrid work
Looking ahead, we can expect to see the following hybrid work trends:
Hybrid work becoming the norm
Most companies will shift to hybrid work to attract and retain top talent. Flexibility is now a must-have for employees.
More flexibility
Companies will offer employees more options for when and where they work. Customized schedules for each team or person will become more common.
New collaboration tools
Tech companies will innovate more immersive virtual meeting capabilities to drive better remote collaboration and connectivity.
Focus on inclusivity
Organizations will highlight how hybrid policies promote diversity, equity and inclusion by removing location barriers.
Creativity flourishing
Studies show hybrid work boosts innovation as employees have quiet time to think creatively. Companies will restructure roles to take advantage of this.
Training for managers
Manager training will expand from focusing just on communication to also include empathy, emotional intelligence, and leading through change.
Conclusion
Hybrid models that blend remote and in-person work are becoming the predominant approach in the modern workplace. As a leader in tech and professional networking, LinkedIn is an influential example of how large companies can implement hybrid work at scale. While hybrid arrangements present challenges, LinkedIn has invested in culture, training, and technology to set its hybrid teams up for success. The result is increased flexibility, productivity, and work-life balance for LinkedIn employees. Other major companies are likely to follow LinkedIn’s model as hybrid policies become the new normal in the years ahead.